Ways You’re Ruining That Carefully Cultivated Brand Image

To any business that really wants to stand out in the market, the branding is a hugely important part of its strategy. It’s the core of all marketing and the heart of what makes it appeal to consumers. But a brand that sounds and looks great isn’t enough. There are a lot of ways you can sabotage it, so we’re going to help you stop doing that.

The personal impression

One of the times that a brand can ring most false is when you meet the brains behind the operation. If someone doesn’t understand personal professional etiquette, the idea that they are behind a brand that promotes professionalism creates a dissonance that is, above all else, untrustworthy. From a lack of respect to a lack of regard for personal appearance, you need to make sure you’re not letting your personal impression get in the way of business.

Disappointment is one step away

If clients come to the office, then the premises have to follow the same rule. A dirty, ill-kept office is immediately an off-putting sight and one that’s all too easily fixed with the help of some office cleaners. But an office with the furniture and décor that fits the brand is even more important, reinforcing the idea that the business emulates what it says it does in every way.

Giving off all the wrong messages

Social media is becoming a tool that businesses are quickly learning to use to have fun with customers and create shared moments with them that win plenty of people over. But taking the wrong tone on social media can contrast widely with the image of the business that you’re trying to give off. Even worse, it can sometimes lead to disaster if unchecked social media messaging leads to something truly offensive.

It’s ingenuine

There are two ingredients to a brand that people are willing to trust. First, it has to be consistent, not flipping from message to message depending on what you’re trying to promote. Second, it has to actually fit how you do business. You can’t wear the mantle of a customer-friendly, satisfaction-driven business if, for instance, you don’t have an extensive customer support and feedback system. Without those two core connections, your branding will look ingenuous and that will quickly become clear to all your customers.

Lack of visibility

More than consistent in tone, your branding has to be consistent in terms of the target market’s exposure to it. Both online and offline, in your inbound marketing and your outbound, you need to put the brand front and centre. You should also be looking for more opportunities to wear it, whether it’s setting up a booth at a trade show or even attaching your branding to things like invoices and receipts. Without the right level of visibility, people won’t recognise the brand imagery as they should.

Stop your business missteps from getting in the way of the image you want to win. Then rethink that image and ask yourself if it truly fits the business and if you’re giving it the push it really needs. Otherwise, it won’t have the impact that it should.